Little Witch S This evening Madam Snickasnee was preparing as usual for her nightly jaunt on her broomstick to see what trouble she could stir up Don t you want to come along with me tonight she asked in her harsh crow voice You haven't been out riding in a week No I don't said Minx I don t like riding around in the dark and cold You disobedient girl shrieked the old Witch You're no child of mine You'll have to start changing your ways pretty soon or you won t grow up into a de cent witch She glared at Minx with her little red eyes clapping her tall pointed hat on her scraggly hair ei as long as you're feeling so high and mighty she went on you can just get to work and cook up a pot of Black Spell Brew and if you don't do it you won't get anything to eat tomorrow Minx watched with relief as the witch sailed out the open door up into the dark sky After a while the girl went over to a cracked mirror and leaning her arms on the ancient bureau beneath it gazed at her reflection intently She saw a thin delicate face a wide soft mouth and big eyes as dark as ripe
The Black Spell Brew blueberries She had a dimple stuck in her chin which she did not like wishing it had been placed in her cheek instead But even magic could not change that now Rummaging through a drawer of the bureau she found a somewhat toothless comb and ran it through her black hair smoothing it around her shoulders Then suddenly she gave a little jump and gasp turning around swiftly Oh I know I saw her I know I did she said aloud to the empty room That's happened so many times when'm looking in the mirror She stared eagerly into
Little Witch the mirror again TI be looking in the mirror like this and then all of a sudden I think I see a lady in there the most beautiful lady in the world looking over my shoulder But'm never quick enough to see her for SUIe She sighed Well I've got to go cook up the Black Spell Brew She took down the magic pot from a shelf and placed it on the stove It was an old fashioned stove that had to be fed with wood in order to cook anything She got the blaze started and then went to fetch the jar of magic powder to make the brew t have to do Oh dear I wish I didn this she said The witch must be going to enchant some more chil dren As if we didn't have enough right here in this house She went over to the wide window sill on which stood seven fowerpots In each pot grew a different kind of flower These however were not ordinary flowers they were children of the town who had been enchanted into flowers in pots because they had been rude to Madam Snickasnee Minx took great care to keep them watered and in good condition She wished she could discover IO
The Black Spell Brew the magic formula to change them back into children You poor things she said to the flowers I hope you don't feel unhappy I wish I could help you I wish you were all children again and then maybe you would play with me The flowers seemed to stir a little bit and Minx was sure they understood She was so lonely for children to play with because all the children in the town were afraid of the witch's child Suddenly her face brightened Tm not going to make that horrible old brew yet I'm going to work on my experiment She looked over all the jars of magic powders and liquids on the shelves There were hundreds of them all different colors Almost every night when Madam Snickasnee went out Minx worked on her experiment trying out a different powder each time She was trying to make the right kind of magic to cause a fairy to ap pear She had never seen a fairy and she was very eager to have such a delightful experience So far noth ing had happened except once when a lot of toads started hopping out of the kettle and another time when some large balloons foated into the room Every time I I
